Coin control mechanism



Jan. 5, 1932. K C BUGG 1,839,736

COIN CONTROL MECHANISM Fi April 22, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7/ Mag? 6/7490, I WW Jan. 5, 1932.

K. c. sucac COIN CONTROL MECHANISM Fi d April 22, "1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 5, 1932. K c, B 1,839,736

COIN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1932- V K. c. BUGG 1, ,7 6

.COIN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.5.

Patented Jan. 5, 1932 siren STA PATENT lien ,KENLY c. see er remirmeron, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORTOOZABKNOVELTYCOMPANEZ or. FARIVEENGTON, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or MISSOURI COIN. CONTROL MECHANISM Application filed April. 22,

This inventionxrelates to coin controlxm'echanism; and also has'reference to mechanism for separating slugs and. the: like from thecoins and for preventing control: of the mechanism by such slugs.

In my copendingzapplication, Serial No. 514,349, filed February 9, 1931,.for gamedevice, the invention there disclosed comprised a table, in combination withm-echanism con- 10 trolling the accessibility of. balls adapted. to be used in playing the-gameon the table, and coin controlled apparatus for controlling saidmechanism and requiring the deposit of a coin in thecoin controlled apparatus before thesaid coin controlled apparatus could be operated to control the mechanismeausing. the ballsto pass to an: accessible pos1t10n.-

- It has been demonstrated by experiencein connection with this invention and other devices including vending machines that attempts are frequently madeto defraudthe machines by use of slugs of about thesize of the coins required to op-erate the IIlZtGlllIlQ;

The use of these fraudulent slugs for these dishonest purposes-has grown enormously, so that it is necessary tomake provision to prevent operation of the-machines and-other devices by use of the slugs An object of the present invention is to provide a coin controlled apparatus for use in connection with the game device constituting the subject matter of my said appl cation, as well as for other uses, whereby the operation or adjustment of the devices controllingoperation of the discharge mechanism of the machines by use of slugs is prevented, and whereby the spuriousslugs and the like are separated from the coins of proper value and thrown out of the way so that they will not interfere with the proper operation-of the device whena-coin'of proper value is inserted.

Various other objects ofthe inventi on, and its adaptability to many uses, will appear from the following description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is an end elevation of'Ya-gametable 1931; Serial No. 531,887;

Fig.2. isan enlargedi'sectiona'l viewv showing the chutesfor'the balls used-in playing the game, and thecoin control: locking de-- vice for" preventing theballsfrom passing to: an. accessible position until acoin of'propen value-has been insertedzinzthe apparatus;-

Fig. .3 is anvinnerside elevation of thecoin control and slug removing device.

Fig;v 4" is a vertical sectional. view of the device: V

Fig. 5. isa vertical transverse sectional: view showing numerous'elements of the de vice in their= unoperatedi or starting.- positions; i

Fig. 6 isafview similar to Figs 5ishowing 55* the parts in. their operated: positions:

Fig; 7 is an: enlarged sectionalviewonithe line 7-"( of Fig. 4:.

Thegamedevicein connectionwith which; the'invention isishown for lllUSt1 &tlV6pl11'- 7i} poses is atable comprisinga topil Fig. having a ledge 2 rising from the marginal: portions of thetop 1. The top li'is provided withv oneor more holes '3' (Fig; 2 through I, which. the balls at pass when successfuli plays: aremade. 7

' These balls'l' passinto a chute comprising an inclined bottom: wall 5; 'l he balls li-roll along the bottom wall 5 of the chute untilithe ball-in front engages-an abutment thati-serves so to stop and retain theentire series of'balls: andlpreventi the balls from passing onto the inclined wall 6 which constitutes a support from which the ballsmay be removed through an opening 7; Thus, until theball's S'i') can passd'ownwardly I alongthe wall 6 topo sitionoppositethe opening 7-, it is impossible to remove the balls from theinconcealment' or to play the gameby'use ofthe'balls.

My present invention comprises an abut a ment l'ever 8 mounted on a pivot 9 and ex tending downwardly so as to form an abutmenu for theballs, as-stated and will beun' derstood by reference toFig. 2 of the-draw ings, so'that the balls cannot' pass to accessible:- '2" position oppositethe opening/Z without open ating: the lever; 8: a

A latchdevice for the'levers8 isprovidedzsm as to hold said lever=in position to: stop" the:

, balls,and'preventxthe balls fromipassing to ace 1 .the balls to swing the lever 8 out of the way cessible position opposite the opening 7 until the latch device is operated by a coin of proper value deposited in the appasratus. This latch device comprises an angular lever including an arm 10 mounted on a pivot 11 (Fig. 4;) and designed and adapted to engage in a notch 12 in the upper end of the lever 8 and thereby latch said lever 8, against operation until the latch 9 is removed'from-the notch 12. A counter-balance weight 13, such as a piece of cork or other light weight material, may be mounted on the free end of the lever 10 in order slightly to overcome the weight of the opposite end of the lever 10. Said opposite end of the lever 10 has integral therewith a downwardly extended portion 14 bent to provide a laterally extended arm 15 that projects through a slot 16 into a relatively narrow and'wide coin chute 17. Thus, a coin of proper value droppedinto the coin chute 17 will move downwardly the lever arm 15 and thereby oscillate said lever on the pivot 11, raising the latch 10 out of the notch 12 and permitting and pass along to positionopposite the opening 7 from which the balls'may be removed. An abutment 18 at the end of the inclined wall 6 stops the balls 4 opposite the opening 7. I The distance of the lever 8 from the abutment 18 is just sufiicient to permit a prede termined number of balls to pass the lever 8 and to be stopped by the abutment 18 and to permit the lever 8 to swing back to its unoperated position and receive the lever 10 in the notch 12. Thus, the lever 8 becomes latched when the movement of the balls stops, said lever functioning as a counting device to permit the required number of balls to pass and also as an abutment to prevent additional balls from passing after the predetermined number of balls have passed and been removed. The chute 17 is enclosed in ahousing 19 attached to the end wall 20 of the table and has near its upper end a coin inlet chute 21. The housing 19 enclosesv a coin receiving, discharging and assorting mechanism whereby coins of proper value are discharged into the chute 17 and slugs and other fraudulent and spurious devices are thrown aside and discharged through another chute 22 beyond and out of communication with the chute 17 The chute 22 communicates with an opening 23 (Fig- 4) in the lower end wall of the housing 19 through which the slugs and spun ious elements drop into a receiving hopper 24.

The coin receiving and assorting device 25 ismounted for vertical sliding movements between guides 26 and is supported by a pair of springs 27. The lower ends of the springs 27 are connected with laterally extended pins 28 on the sides of the receiving and asserting device 25' and with stationary pins 29 proj ecting from the end wall 20 of the table. Thus, the coin receiving and assorting device 25 is supported in its unoperated position in which the chute 30 in said device 25 is opposite and in communication with the inner end of the coin inlet chute 21.

Two swinging arms 31 are mounted in the chute 30in the coin receiving and assorting device 25. These arms 31 are spaced apart and are pivotally supported at their upper ends by pins 32 spaced sufliciently to permit a coin 33 to pass between the arms 31 while the coin receiving and assorting device is in its unoperated position. The lower ends of the arms 31 have inwardly extended projections 34 onto which the coin 33 drops and by which the coin 33 is supported until the coin receiving and assorting device is moved downwardly. The lower ends of the arms 31 also have downwardly and laterally inclined arms 35 which, in the upper and unoperated position of the receiving and assorting device 25, abut against the guides 26 and thereby hold the arms 31 in position to support the coin 33. Thus, it is necessary to move the coin receiving and assorting device downwardly, so that the arms 35 are below the lower ends of the guides 26 in order to permit the arms 31 to bemoved apart by the coin 33 and thereby permit the coin 33 to pass between the projections'3 l anddrop. The position of the arms 31 in the unoperated position of the coin receiving and assorting device is shown in Fig. 5, a coin 33 being supported thereby; and the downward position of the receiving and assorting device is shown in Fig. 6, the coin 33 having just dropped from between the arms 31 onto. the weighing and assorting device, whereby coins of proper value are discharged into the chute 17 and slugs, etc. are thrown out and discharged into the-chute 22.

The coin selector and slug ejector mechanism is located above the chute 17, so that the coins and slugs dropping from the receiving 7 and assorting device drop onto said coin selecting and slug e ecting mechanism. The

said mechanism comprises a pair of angular elements, one of whlch includes a downwardtrue value and approximately true wei ht.

This head 40 may be'attached either be ore or after the counter-weight nut 39 has been screwed onto the stem 36.

The other angular member of the coin selector and slug ejector mechanism comprises ana angular member including:- any arm .41

mounted ona pivoti42 and connected with a downwardly and inwardly inclinedarm 43.

contact with said; arms. Thecounter-balance weight nut 44 is screwed onto the threaded;

and may be adjusted so as to permit move ment of? thearm 43 by a: comof proper value and; weight.

A slug. ejector comprising a. leaf spring having a portion: 46. (Fig. 4) curving out:- wardly into. the vertical plane between the chute-=17 and the chute 30 is mounted. in connection with the end wall..20 of the. table. The bowed portion; 46 of this spring extends transversely into the space abovethe arms,

38 and; 43-5 and into position to. be engaged and pushed laterally toward the table-end walli20androut ofalinement; with the chutes l7 and 30' by the rear wall of the coin re ceiving device 25.

the chute 30 will. push the arms 31 apart and droponto the arms 38 and 43. Ifthis coinisrof true value and weight, it willpress the arms 38 and 43 apart and: dropinto the chute 175 and; thence ontothe. end 15. of the.

latch 10 with suflicient force to disengage the latchlO from thelever 8 and permit t e ballsto roll along the wall 6until the ball in-front is stopped'by the abutment 18. This permits just the required number of balls. to pass, stops said balls as a seriesas shown in Fig; 2,, and permits the lever 8 to swing back: to its unoperated position in which it.

isengaged and latched by the lever 10.

It is a familiar fact that these spurious slugs now used extensively in order to defraud vending machines are of less weight than the coins for which they are intended to be substituted. Accordingly, a spurious: slug passed into the chute 30 anddischarged therefrom onto the arms 38 and 43 will not.

' operatesaid arms 38 and 43 but will be supported thereby and. held from passing intothe chute 17. When the coin receiving device rises, it moves out of engagement with the curved spring 46 which immediately acts to vent anyslugsfromaccidentally;passinglinto Accordingly, when the coin. receiving device is moveddownwardly in opposition to the springs 27, the rear the-"chute;1.7 and; to require the slugs to pass: into the chutez22z. I i

The, coin, receiving device has-an arm orfinger piece, 47 extendingthrough aslot 48 in thehousing-19,,whereby the coin receiving. device a may be pushed downwardly in. opposition to the springs 27 after the coin 33 01" the slug-in substitution. for thecoin hasbeen passed into rthe chute 30. Due-to. angularity of the chute -and the usual unfamiliarityof-operatjorswit-h the construction of'the de-. vice, it is nearly impossible to manipulate-the apparatus fraudulently.

It, is now clearthat my invention, obtains. alli ofits intended. objects and purposes in a most eihcient and satisfactory manner, 7 They construction and; arrangement of-the part-sv may be varied in: numerous respects without. departure from the nature and: principle thereof, The device may also be appliedto numerous usesother than the specific use indicated, -The. specific application of the device'herein shown is only illustrative and the device may" easily be adapted for nu:- merous purposeswithout departure from the invention; i

I contemplate such variations as may; be

required" or found desirable,and what I claim:

and desireto secure-1 by Letters Patent. is :1

1; Mechanism of, the character describedcomprising a pair of pivotally supported coin weighing. devices arranged to; swing apart; and discharge between. them a coin; of'predetermined weight and valuewhensaid'fcoin is placed thereon and to'support elementsof less weight than said'coin, an'ejector for ejecting said elements-fromsaid devices, a. coin receiver for; receiving and supporting; said coins and said elements, and means formoving said receiverto position to discharge a said; coins andsaid elements therefrom onto said devices and to rendersaid' ejector in;- efi'ective t0 ej'ectsaidcoins fromsaid devices and eflective to eject said elements from/said devices. I 5 g '2. Mechanism of'the character described comprising pivotally supported weighing devices forireceiving and discharging between; them coins of predetermined: valuev and weight and; forsupporting elements of less weight than saidcoins, an ejectorzforejecting: said elements from said. devices, andmechanism for. delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices; and causing saidj ejectorto permit said coins to passbetween said devices. and to eject said; elements from. said devices. 1

3. Mechanism of. thecharacter described comprising two spaced pivot'ally supported weighing devices for receiving and discharging-betweenthem coins of predetermined. value and'weightand for supporting ele-- ments of lessweight than said coins, a. chute; forj receiving the coins dischargedifrombe tweensaid weighing devices jan ejector; for.

ejecting said elements fromsaidweighing devices, and mechanism for delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices and energizing said ejector effectively to cause said ejector to eject said elements from said devices and prevent said elements from passing into said chute.

4:. Mechanism comprising a'pair of angular weighing devices, means pivotally supporting said weighing devices in spaced relationship in position to receive and discharge between them coins of predetermined value and weight and to receive and supportelements of less weight than said coins, mechanism for delivering said coins and said elemerits onto said devices, and an ejector controlled by said mechanism effectively to eject said elements from said devices and to permit saidcoins to pass between said devices.

'5. Mechanism of the character described comprising pivotally supported weighing devices for receiving and discharging between them coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, means for adjusting said devices to perform said functions with approximate precision and certainty, an ejector for ejecting said elements from said devices, and mechanism for delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices and controlling said ejector to permit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices.

6. Mechanism of the character described comprising separate chutes for receiving coins and other elements respectively, pivo-- tally-supported weighing devices for receiv ing and discharging between them into one ofsaid chutes-coins of predetermined value andweight and for supporting the other elements that are of less weight than said coins, an ejector for ejecting said elements from said devices into a-chute other than said chute into which said coins are discharged, and mechanism for delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices and controlling said ejector to permit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices.

7; Mechanism of the character described comprising a coin receiving chute, a pair of angular pivotallyv supported weighing devices for receiving and discharging between them into said chute coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting ele ments of less weight thansaid coins, a movable coin receiving chute, means for supporting coins and other elements in said movable chute, an ejector for ejecting said elements from said devices, and mechanism for operating said movable chute to discharge said coins and said elements therefrom onto said devices and to control said ejector to permit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices.

8. Mechanism of the character described comprising a C0111 recelvmg chute, a pair of angular pivotally supported weighing de-' vices for receiving and discharging between them into said chute coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, a movable coin receiving chute, means for supporting coins and other elements in said movable chute, an ejector for ejecting said elements from said devices, mechanism for operating said movable chute to discharge said coins and said elements therefrom onto said devices and to control said ejector to permit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices, and means for regulating and adjusting said devices to weigh and to control said coins and said elements with approximate precision.

9. Mechanism of the character described comprising pivotally supported weighing devices for receiving and discharging between them coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, mechanism for delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices, and an e ector controlled by sald' mechanism topermit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices.

, 10. Mechanism of the character described comprising pivotally supported weighing de vices for receiving and discharging between them coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, mechanism for. delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices, an ejector controlled by said mechanism to permit said coins to pass be tween said devices and to eject said elements from said devices, and separate chutes for receiving said coins and said elements after said coins are discharged and said elements have been ejected from said devices.

11. Mechanism of the character described comprising pivotally supported weighing devices for receiving and discharging between them coins of predetermined value and weight and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, mechanism for delivering said coins and said elements onto said devices, an ejector controlled bysaid mechanism to permit said coins to pass between said devices and to eject said elements from said devices, separate chutes for receiving said coins and said elements after said coins are discharged and said elements have been ejected from said devices,;and means for regulating and adjusting said devices to weigh said coins and said elements with approximate precision.

12. Mechanism of the character described comprising a longitudinally movable chute, means for conducting coins into said chute, a pair of pivoted downwardly swinging arms in said chute, projections in connection with said arms for supporting said coins in said chute, means holding said arms in position in which said projections will support said coins when said chute is in its unoperated position and permitting said arms to be swung apart by said coins when said chute is moved to an operated position, weighing devices for receiving the coins discharged from said chute and for supporting elements of less weight than said coins, and an ejector controlled by said chute to permit the coins to operate and pass between said weighing devices and to eject said elements from said devices. 7

KENLY G. BUGG. 

